


Break Me Down, Build Me Up

by NoOneKnowsIWriteThis



Category: Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types, Dangan Ronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Canon Compliant, Canon-Typical Violence, Heavy Angst, M/M, Mondo is bi and kinda in denial until Hope's Peak, Owada Mondo Swears, Set before and during the killing game, Soulmates Share Pain, Suicidal Thoughts, typical Trial 2 ishimondo stuff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-22
Updated: 2019-11-22
Packaged: 2021-02-17 23:27:50
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,027
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21518203
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NoOneKnowsIWriteThis/pseuds/NoOneKnowsIWriteThis
Summary: Ishimondo in an AU where soulmates share each other's pain.-"It was deeply impolite to stare, so Kiyotaka wasn't staring, but he was frequently glancing at Oowada. The biker had a bandage on his hand in the exact spot where Kiyotaka had experienced his soulmate's pain last night. The thought that it could be Oowada's pain he was feeling had crossed Kiyotaka's mind, but he'd immediately brushed it aside as impossible. They could barely hold a civil discussion, there was no way they were soulmates."
Relationships: Ishimaru Kiyotaka/Oowada Mondo
Comments: 4
Kudos: 277





	Break Me Down, Build Me Up

Kiyotaka felt sorry for his soulmate. Having to share the pain of a stranger was hard enough under normal circumstances, but Kiyotaka wasn't normal, his family name was worse than worthless: it actively marked him as the target of mockery and scorn. It made him a popular target for bullies, and since he had no friends, he had no one he could turn to for help. It was small comfort that the pain sharing hadn't kicked in until he was ten, after Ishimaru had gotten better at avoiding attacks and most of the bullying had shifted from direct, physical attacks to harder to prove psychological assaults.

Sometimes his soulmate's pain would come through their bond and caused Ishimaru to wonder. The pain usually came in batches of strikes, which made Kiyotaka wonder if his soulmate was also the victim of bullying; that was the only explanation Ishimaru could think of for why  _ his _ soulmate would be getting into fights.

—

Mondo thought about his soulmate a lot. She —because his soulmate was definitely going to be a gorgeous badass babe— seemed to get into a lot of fights, but beyond that she seemed to be very careful, having few accidents that he knew of.

She'd be a fierce punk, someone who thought motorcycles were cool and bikers were hot. Maybe she'd have her own gang and they'd become a ferocious power couple that could take down anyone who stood in their way. She'd be the kind of chick any guy would be lucky to have, and she'd be his.

—

Hope's Peak was like paradise for Kiyotaka compared to middle school. None of his classmates bullied him, in fact some even seemed open to forming a friendship. Even the students that didn't like him seemed like they were annoyed by his handling of his duties rather than despising his continued existence. Kuwata would grumble when he was written up, but he put forth a commendable effort when they were assigned as partners for a class project.

The only one of his classmates that he truly couldn't stand for very long was Oowada. It was only natural that he'd clash with the gang leader, after all Kiyotaka had dedicated his life to upholding proper morals. The feeling was definitely mutual, as Oowada had no problem making his dislike of Kiyotaka well known.

—

Since he'd started at Hope's Peak, Mondo had noticed that his soulmate was experiencing less pain. While that was definitely a good thing, Mondo almost missed it, since their shared pain was currently their only connection. Hopefully it meant that she was in a better situation than she had been. Maybe his fantasies about her being a badass were completely wrong and instead she'd been being abused and attacked. In that case, Mondo would gladly step in to protect her once they met.

Mondo himself had also been getting into fewer fights, since being away at the nation's most prestigious boarding school left him few opportunities to go home and get into trouble with his gang. But this school gave him an opportunity to learn new skills and do something constructive with his life. Carpentry was going well, despite the occasional injury.

—

It was deeply impolite to stare, so Kiyotaka wasn't staring, but he was frequently glancing at Oowada. The biker had a bandage on his hand in the exact spot where Kiyotaka had experienced his soulmate's pain last night. The thought that it could be Oowada's pain he was feeling had crossed Kiyotaka's mind, but he'd immediately brushed it aside as impossible. They could barely hold a civil discussion, there was no way they were soulmates.

The thought so thoroughly distracted Kiyotaka that he got a paper cut from his textbook. He let out a pained hiss and ignored the fact that Oowada flinched at the same time he did. It was a coincidence, nothing more.

—

If there was one person in this school that Mondo couldn't stand… well it would be Byakuya Togami, but if there were two, the second was definitely Kiyotaka Ishimaru. It was no surprise to Mondo that he kept butting heads with the guy who was basically the Ultimate Rules Enforcer given that he was by definition a law breaking punk, but that didn’t mean he found Ishimaru any less annoying. The feelings were definitely mutual, judging by how Ishimaru talked to him when they were forced by circumstance to interact.

This made it all the more unsettling that Ishimaru seemed to have taken a more direct interest in him lately. He clearly thought he was being subtle, but the Ultimate Moral Compass obviously had no talent for subterfuge. Mondo had tried all sorts of things: changing his routine, taking shortcuts, he'd even gotten Leon to run interference for him once, but none of it kept Ishimaru off his tail for long. It wasn't like the other was constantly behind him, but he just kept popping up in places he had no reason to be in except for following Mondo.

Things finally came to a head one night when he was trying to sneak down a hallway without attracting Ishimaru's attention, but when that plan failed he broke into an all-out run, hoping to out pace the other. He glanced back to check on his lead as Ishimaru shouted.

"Oowada, loo-"

Mondo's feet came out from under him and for a moment he was falling. Then the wind was knocked out of him as he slammed onto the ground. He lay there panting for a moment. His tailbone and the back of his head began to ache as he came back to himself. He looked around groggily and saw Ishimaru kneeling by his side, cradling the back of his own head.

"What...the fuck?!" Mondo managed.

Ishimaru looked up and glared at him. "Language, Oowada. And none of this would have happened if you hadn't been running."

Mondo simply groaned. He'd fallen, probably looked like an idiot, and now he was about to get lectured on top of it.

"Although, that leak should have been taken care of after I reported it yesterday,” the Moral Compass continued, his annoyance for once not directed at Mondo. “I’ll have to report it again.”

Mondo decided now was a good time to attempt to make his exit and tried to stand up, but Ishimaru anticipated him and placed a hand on his chest.

“Don’t get up too quickly,” Ishimaru ordered. “You probably don’t have a concussion, but you did hit the ground quite hard and should be careful regardless.”

Mondo frowned, but since it didn’t appear he was in for a lecture, he decided to listen to Ishimaru for now and sat up slowly.

“‘S yer fault,” Mondo muttered.

Ishimaru looked at him in surprise.

“I wouldn’t’ve run if ya weren’t stalking me.”

Ishimaru glanced away, his pale complexion doing nothing to hide the blush that appeared on his face. “Y-yes, well. I had a suspicion and I wanted to be sure before I took any actions.”

“Well knock it off,” Mondo snapped. “I’m not sneaking in drugs or weapons or whatever it is ya think I’m doing!”

“It was nothing like that!”

“Yeah?! Then what was it?” Mondo was tired of this stuck-up, holier-than-thou asshole being on his case.

Ishimaru hesitated; his mouth opened and closed with no sound coming out, then he shouted “We’re soulmates!”

To say Mondo was shocked would be an understatement. Mondo couldn’t even comprehend what Ishimaru had said he was so completely flabbergasted.  _ “What?!” _

“We’re soulmates!” Ishimaru repeated, even louder this time. “Hit me and you’ll see. Go on, hit me!”

Mondo glanced up and down the empty hall. “This is a trap,” he stated. “I’m not punching ya. No way.”

“I give you full permission!” Ishimaru exclaimed. “I swear you’ll face no punishment. Please, hit me and you’ll see that I’m telling the truth!”

Mondo narrowed his eyes and leaned in close, meeting Ishimaru’s gaze. "How do I know I won't get in trouble?"

A vivid blush blossomed on Ishimaru's face, but his eyes stayed fixed on Mondo's. "I give you my word. I pledge on my honor that you will face no punishment for this and I will take full responsibility for the consequences of my request."

After a moment Mondo pulled back. Ishimaru was a hardass, but he also took his promises very seriously.

"Fine," Mondo grunted. "Stand up, we're gonna do this proper."

"Of course." Ishimaru quickly got to his feet and offered Mondo a hand, which Mondo ignored.

Mondo watched as Ishimaru got into a steady position, bracing himself for the hit.

"So, I just… take a swing at ya?" Mondo asked, curling his hand into a fist. "As hard as I can?" 

Ishimaru frowned. "If I may make a suggestion? Given that you'll be sharing my pain, perhaps you should…pull your punch somewhat."

"Ya chickening out after all that talk?" Mondo glared at him.

Ishimaru shook his head emphatically. "Of course not, but perhaps a slap would be more suitable since this is merely to demonstrate our bond."

"Tch, have it yer way," Mondo grumbled.

Ishimaru closed his eyes and tensed in anticipation. Mondo stepped into place, pulled his arm back, and slapped Ishimaru as hard as he could across the face. Almost instantly he felt his own cheek stinging and jumped back, away from the other boy.

"What. The. Fuck," he growled.

Ishimaru stood still, tears from the pain welled up in his eyes. The bright red imprint of Mondo's hand stood out against his pale skin of his cheek.

"How the  _ fuck _ are  _ we  _ soulmates?!" Mondo shouted. "Is this some kind of sick joke? Because it's not  _ fucking funny!" _

"I don't understand it myself," Ishimaru confessed. "I only started to wonder when I noticed your injuries were lining up with my pain."

"I'm not supposed to be tied to some prissy hardass who gets off on forcing other people to obey his whims." Mondo was lost in his rant, barely remembering that the other was even present.

"Yes, well," though Ishimaru's voice was quiet, it cut straight through Mondo. “I don’t exactly fancy being bound to some reckless thug who is determined to throw away the opportunity he’s been given by even being accepted into this school.”

Mondo whirled around, looming over Ishimaru menacingly. "What did you call me?"

Ishimaru met his gaze unflinchingly. "I called you reckless, violent, and a fool. Which descriptor did you take issue with?"

"Fucking smartass little shit-"

"Language, Oowada!"

"Ya wanna make something of it?!" Mondo shouted. "Or are ya gonna go back on yer word and write me up, ya power trippin' creep?!"

The sheer offense in Ishimaru's glare let Mondo know his insult had struck its mark.

"What kinda man hides behind rules anyway? Ya think yer better than me, then fucking prove it!"

"I'm more of a man than...than some cowardly criminal who thinks fighting is the end all and be all!" Ishimaru fired back. "I gladly accept your challenge, but as fighting is not allowed in school we must find an alternative test."

Mondo paused. He hadn't been expecting the other to respond like this. He'd thought Ishimaru would eventually find something to write him up for and consider that the end of their interaction.

"Uh, well then what about an endurance contest?" Mondo proposed, hoping his hesitation was hidden by his sheer volume.

"The sauna!" Ishimaru exclaimed. "The perfect way to prove one and for all which one of us is truly the real man!"

—

Kiyotaka had to admit that he had severely misjudged Mondo. Now that they'd actually managed to talk without it devolving into an argument, they actually got along surprisingly well. They'd become fast friends after that night in the sauna, and — though neither one had brought up the fact that they were soulmates again — it was now much clearer to Kiyotaka how that could be the case. They complimented each other in ways they hadn't realized they needed.

Now that he knew the other better, Kiyotaka could see himself easily falling in love with Mondo.

—

Mondo felt like screaming. He’d fallen in love with Taka.

The fact that they already knew they were soulmates should have made those feelings easier to deal with, but instead Mondo found himself just as confused as ever. After all, what were you supposed to do if you’d already established that you were soulmates, but then neither of you made romantic overtures for months? Should Mondo just turn and kiss Taka on the cheek as they huddled over a textbook together? Should he make some kind of announcement first in case Taka wasn’t interested in turning their bond romantic? Given Mondo’s track record with expressing his feelings, he’d probably just blurt out something at the top of his lungs in the middle of lunch or something humiliating like that.

Then one day Taka pulled him aside after class, saying that there was something he wanted to discuss in private.

He led Mondo through the halls to an area behind the school that was kind of secluded, then he stood in front of the biker, fixed his already near-perfect posture, and declared “I have romantic feelings for you! I-it may not be terribly surprising as we are soulmates, but I wanted to do this properly,” Taka continued. “S-so, um, will you go out with me?”

“Hell yeah!” Mondo exclaimed, grabbing Taka and pulling him close. "I was trying to figure out how to ask ya the same thing!"

Taka blushed, but he was grinning as Mondo brought their lips together into their first kiss.

—

Kiyotaka felt sorry for his soulmate. Having to share the pain of a stranger was hard enough under normal circumstances, but Kiyotaka wasn't in normal circumstances: he'd been forced into a killing game. He certainly wasn't planning to kill anyone, but that didn't mean he couldn't become a target. He just hoped that his soulmate was safe and far away from this school.

—

Mondo did find it a little strange that he and Taka had gone from being barely able to stand each other to becoming best friends in the span of one night, but once they'd actually started talking they'd discovered they weren't all that different. They were both passionate young men with strong senses of right and wrong and family legacies that they both struggled with.

The topic of soulmates never even came up.

—

It didn't matter how damning the evidence was, Kiyotaka couldn't believe that Mondo guilty. It had to be a trick.

He watched in horror as the results came in.

He ran to face Mondo, grabbed his arms, shouted at him, demanded that he tell them it was all a mistake. Kiyotaka was barely conscious of the tears streaming down his face.

All too soon, Monokuma tired of the scene and began to drag Mondo off. Mondo grabbed at the collar holding him and Kiyotaka mirrored the motion as a crushing pain shot through his neck.

Kiyotaka met Mondo's eyes and saw the moment of realization in Mondo's eyes, followed immediately by fear and guilt.

—

Mondo's heart ached with guilt. He should have known better than to put his soulmate through the torture of sharing the pain of an execution. What had he been thinking? He hadn't been thinking, that was the entire problem. Mondo had acted on stupid panicked instincts and now Taka was going to pay the price alongside him.

_ "Mondo!"  _ Taka's panicked shriek from the other side of the fence cut through Mondo's self-pity. The Ultimate Moral Compass was clutching onto the fence like it was the only thing keeping him standing. His eyes were frantic as tears streamed down his face.

"Taka, I'm sorry," Mondo called back as he was strapped to a motorcycle. "I'm so sorry."

"No, no, no,  _ no!"  _ Taka screamed. "You  _ can't!  _ Please, you can't take him from me! You can't  _ do  _ this! He's my  _ soulmate!" _

As the motorcycle began to speed up, Taka's cries of desperation turned into ones of agony.

—

Kiyotaka awoke in his room. He was no longer in pain, but his body still tingled with a phantom echo of what he'd experienced. He couldn't bring himself to move. His heart and his body both ached. How could he be expected to live after that?

He'd heard stories of people who'd felt their soulmates die in horrible way who had also died, either because of the shared pain or the shock of losing their soulmate or later because they'd lost the will to keep living. Kiyotaka understood that feeling all too well now.

The sound of a key in the lock made Kiyotaka turn his head towards the door. In came Makoto carrying a bottle of water and some fruit.

"Oh, you're awake." Makoto looked surprised and uncomfortable as he came closer to the bed. "I, um… I thought you might want some water and food after…after what happened."

Kiyotaka couldn't will up the energy to respond.

Makoto shifted awkwardly and placed the food and water on the desk.

"We had to borrow your key to get into your room, but now that you're awake, here." Makoto placed the key alongside everything else, then looked around for something else to say. "Well, uh, just let me know if you need anything." With that Makoto fled.

Kiyotaka didn't bother to lock the door. If anyone came to kill him, they would just be ending his suffering.

—

Kiyotaka barely managed to function through a cloud of misery until he saw the laptop with Chihiro and Mondo on it.

He could see that everyone was alarmed when he started acting like Mondo, but he simply couldn't go on as he was. He needed his soulmate with him, in whatever form that took.

When the note was slipped under his door, Ishida knew it was probably a trap. He just didn't care. The killing game would continue with or without him and he didn't have the heart to face it anymore having felt his soulmate die.

He waited in the storeroom with his back to the door, hoping that his death would be quick.


End file.
